Hestia looked around. Every newsie was staring at her in horror.
"I swear ta God, Davy, I didn't kill your father…I mean, you know me! What reason would I have?" she asked.
"I don't know, Hes…But the man knows what he saw…He saw you running from the building…"
"But…but…David…you gotta believe me. I wouldn't hurt your father…I wouldn't hurt a fly…you guys know this!" she exclaimed. They looked at each other, but Les squeezed her.
"I believe you, Hestia," he whispered. She bowed her head, kissing the top of his.
"Thank you…"
"If you didn't kill him, Hes…Why were you in the alley?" Boots asked. She looked up, tears in her eyes.
"I can't tell you that…" She gasped in surprise when she heard the mixed responses of the newsies, the main one being, "Yeah, she did it, she won't tell us anything else she couldda been doin' in dat alley…" She bit her lip, tears slipping out of her eyes. Race shrugged his shoulders.
"Well, eiddah you tell us a reason youse wouldda been in dat alley, or youse did it, dats all dere is…"
"Even if I did tell you the truth, you would never believe me, not in a million years…"
"Try us," Jack said.
"No. I know you guys. Not only would you not believe me, you'd tease me for it until I died…" She sighed, looking back at the floor.
"C'mon, Hes, jist…" The door burst open, and they all spun to find two cops in the doorway. Hes looked around, wide-eyed, as they walked over.
"Kid, we're gonna need you to back away from that woman…" Les hugged Hestia once more, standing.
"I believe you, Hes…" She gave him a faint smile, as the cops yanked her up and cuffed her hands. Hestia slowly lifted her head.
"I didn't do it, guys…please…believe me…"
"Hestia Moore, you are under arrest for the murder of Mayer Jacobs…" She felt the tears in her eyes as they dragged her outside. Jack looked over as she disappeared from sight.
Hestia sat in her cell, head in her hands. The door opened, and a guard walked in.
"Moore!" She jumped, looking up. "Visitor…" He let Oscar inside, and sat in the corner after closing the door.
"What do you want?" she asked softly.
"You agree to leave them and come with me, I'll testify you were with me…You don't, I leave you here…"
"Oscar, no one will believe you…Hell, no one would believe me, trust me, I know them…"
"Yeah, well, obviously, yer forgettin' who my uncle is…"
"No, I know exactly who your uncle is. He's a conniving, thieving, little son-of-a-…"
"Hestia! Stop it!" She shook her head.
"He's a dirty little rat, okay? Plain and simple. Everyone knows it. And I mean everyone…"
"Yeah, yeah, true, but…he does have his ways of gettin' people off…" Hestia sighed, and shook her head.
"I would rather rot in here then be endowed to your uncle for the rest of my life," she replied, standing and moving towards the barred window.
"Wouldn' yer 'family' help you?"
"The only one who believes me is Les," she whispered, looking down at the streets below her. Oscar glanced behind him at the guard, who wasn't even looking. He was practically asleep. Oscar moved up behind Hestia, and patted a hand against her shoulder.
"I believe you," he replied. She shoved him back, her face hard and angry.
"Of course you believe me, Oscar Delancy, because you were with me! How stupid do you think I am? But you're not a newsie. You aren't a member of the family that I've helped raise for years, now are you? No, your not. In fact, you're a member of the family that's tried to destroy my family! Now, do me a huge favor, Oscar, and GET OUT!" Oscar shook his head, but headed out the door, saying, "Your loss, Hes…"
"Out!" she cried. He exited the room, and she moved back to her bed, dropping down and covering her face with her hands, trying not to cry.
Hestia moved about her cell, ringing her hands together. After a while, she moved to the window, and looked down at the streets. The sun was shining down, and she could see people moving about below. One in particular caught her eye, and she glanced behind her.
"Les!" she called, looking down at him. He stopped. She cupped her hands around her mouth, and cried, "Les! Up here!" He looked up, and cupped his hand around his mouth.
"Hes? Hi!"
"Hi, Les! Do me a favor!"
"Okay!"
"Get Jack! I want to talk to him!"
"Okay!"
"Tell him to come in and say he wants to talk to me! Can you do that?" she called down.
"Yeah! Be back!" He took off running, and she smiled.
Hestia was pacing her room again, waiting for Jack. The door flung open.
"Moore! You got more visitors!" She looked up, and watched Les and Skittery walk in. No Jack. She knitted her eyebrows together.
"Uh…Thanks, Sir…Could I have a few minutes alone with them? I won't try anything, and they wouldn't have thought to try anything," she said, motioning to her friends.
"Yeah, whatever…" He closed the door, and sat right outside.
"Where's Jack?"
"Refuses to come see ya," Les said. She sighed.
"Yeah…What's up, Hes?" Skitts asked. She shrugged, and sat, motioning to the chairs.
"Sit…" They dropped down. "I know you believe me, Les…But…Skitts? Does anyone else believe that I didn't have anything to do with their dad's death?" she asked.
"Just me…And…Dutchy…an' Spot."
"Spot knows?" she asked. Skitts nodded. "Damn…Alright…Well…Is it possible for you guys, and them, to convince the others I didn't do it?"
"Only if you can give good reason why you couldn't have possibly done it…" Hestia shook her head.
"You guys will never believe me…"
"Moore!"
"What?" she asked, looking up as the door opened.
"Time's up…" She sighed.
"Alright…Just try, okay? And I wanna make sure you bring a bunch of them to the trial…"
"Which ones?"
"You two, course…David, Jack, Race, Dutchy, Spot, Specs, Kloppman, if he can take it, Itey, Mush, Crutchy, Blink, and…Boots…Can you do that?"
"Of course," Skitts smiled, and stood, hugging her. Les gave her a really tight hug, not wanting to let go.
"Alright, kid, get out," the guy said. Hestia kissed Les' forehead.
"Bring your mother, and your sister. They need to hear it to. It's two days from now!" she called as he ran from the room. He waved, and the door slammed shut. "Two days, and my life hangs in the balance," she murmured, moving to the window to watch the boys take off towards the lodging house.